1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reminder system that functions as a reminder of a prescribed location.
2. Description of Related Art
A reminder is known as a device that reminds a user of the schedule. For example, to make a phone call at three o""clock, the user not only writes the xe2x80x9cphone callxe2x80x9d into a scheduler, but also enters the time into a reminder so that the reminder is activated (sounds an alarm) at three o""clock to remind the user of the phone call by beeping. Thus, the conventional reminder can record the time to remind the user of a business.
In contrast, assume that the user was going to the office with a postcard to be mailed at a mailbox on the way, but forgot to mail it although he or she had passed by the mailbox. In such a case, the reminder is inapplicable because its function is to record the time to sound a warning for some business. In other words, a particular place (the neighborhood of the mailbox in the this example) cannot be set to sound the warning beep.
The present invention is implemented to solve the foregoing problem. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a reminder system capable of reminding a user of a particular place.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile information terminal comprising: a terminal-side memory for storing spatial information about a specified location; a terminal-side receiver for receiving a radio signal with a first predetermined frequency; decision means for making a decision as to whether information in the signal received by the terminal-side receiver agrees with the spatial information in the terminal-side memory; and output means for outputting notification information to a person equipped with the mobile information terminal when the decision of said decision means indicates agreement, the notification information including at least one of sound information and vibration information which indicate that a location of the person equipped with the mobile information terminal corresponds to the specified location.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an antenna station installed at a specified location, the antenna station comprising: a station-side memory for storing spatial information about the specified location; and a station-side transmitter for transmitting the spatial information in the station-side memory to the specified location by a radio wave with a first predetermined frequency.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reminder system comprising a mobile information terminal, and an antenna station installed at a specified location,
the mobile information terminal comprising:
a terminal-side memory for storing spatial information about the specified location;
a terminal-side receiver for receiving a radio signal with a first predetermined frequency;
decision means for making a decision as to whether information in the signal received by the terminal-side receiver agrees with the spatial information in the terminal-side memory; and
output means for outputting notification information to a person equipped with the mobile information terminal when the decision of the decision means indicates agreement, the notification information and vibration information which indicating that a location of the person equipped with the mobile information terminal corresponds to the specified location, and
the antenna station comprising:
a station-side memory for storing spatial information about the specified location; and
a station-side transmitter for transmitting the spatial information in the station-side memory to the specified location by a radio wave with the first predetermined frequency.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reminder system comprising a mobile information terminal, an antenna station installed at a specified location, and a information managing server,
the mobile information terminal comprising:
a terminal-side memory for storing spatial information about the specified location;
a terminal-side receiver for receiving a radio signal with a first predetermined frequency;
decision means for making a decision as to whether information in the signal received by the terminal-side receiver agrees with the spatial information in the terminal-side memory; and
output means for outputting notification information to a person equipped with the mobile information terminal when the decision of the decision means indicates agreement, the notification information including at least one of sound information and vibration information which indicate that a location of the person equipped with the mobile information terminal corresponds to the specified location,
said antenna station comprising:
a station-side memory for storing spatial information about the specified location; and
a station-side transmitter for transmitting the spatial information in the station-side memory to the specified location by a radio wave with the first predetermined frequency, and
the information managing server comprising:
server-side communicating means connected to a communication network to carry out communication with at least one of the mobile information terminal and the antenna station;
a database that stores at least information on the specified location; and
a server-side controller for controlling information transfer between the server-side communicating means and the database.
Here, the mobile information terminal may further comprise a terminal-side display. The notification information further includes display information to be displayed on the terminal-side display.
The mobile information terminal may further comprise terminal-side input means for inputting prescribed setting information; the terminal-side memory may store the prescribed setting information supplied from the terminal-side input means; and the decision means may make a decision as to whether the information in the signal received by the terminal-side receiver agrees with the prescribed spatial information and the setting information in the terminal-side memory.
The mobile information terminal may further comprise a timer; and the decision means may refer to time information fed from the timer when the prescribed setting information is information about time.
The mobile information terminal may further comprise: terminal-side communicating means connected to a communication network for carrying out communication; and a terminal-side controller for controlling information transfer between the terminal-side communicating means and the terminal-side memory.
The mobile information terminal may further comprise a terminal-side transmitter for transmitting a response signal by a radio wave with a second predetermined frequency when the decision of the decision means indicates agreement.
The antenna station may further comprise station-side input means for inputting prescribed setting information; the station-side memory may store the prescribed setting information fed from the station-side input means; and the station-side transmitter may transmit the information about the specified location and prescribed setting information in the station-side memory by a radio wave with the first predetermined frequency.
The antenna station may further comprise: station-side communicating means connected to a communication network for carrying out communication; and a station-side controller for controlling information transfer between the station-side communicating means and the station-side memory.
The antenna station may further comprise: a station-side receiver for receiving a radio wave with a second predetermined frequency; and a station-side display for displaying information in response to a signal received by the station-side receiver.
The database may further store prescribed setting information.
The server-side controller may limit information to be transmitted to the server-side communicating means as needed.